USC will participate in multi-university survey
USC hopes participation in a new survey program will help the university improve the student experience.
The university is in its final stages of joining the Student Experience in the Research University Consortium, which will allow USC to partake in a multi-university survey USC officials hope will help them improve the university.
“We have been committed to improving the quality of undergraduate education for over 10 years now, and we have done a good job, but we are not satisfied,” said Mark Pavelchak, USC’s academic information officer.
Starting out as a survey for only University of California schools, the Student Experience in the Research University survey has now come to include 17 top universities, allowing USC to see where it stands in comparison to other research universities. USC has been working three years to join the consortium.
Pavelchak said being part of the consortium will allow USC to evaluate how it compares to other schools.
“We have increased selectivity and student quality to where we can hold out against Berkeley and UCLA,” Pavelchak said.
The survey will provide detailed information on how students feel about specific academic programs and the overall USC experience.
The survey consists of a group of core questions and an individualized section chosen from random from a group of four topics.
“The survey asks you to look back from where you came from and why you came here,” Pavelchak said. “There are four modules students are randomly assigned to, which include academic experience and globalization, community and civic engagement, student life and development, and then lastly a set of special interest questions that pertain directly to USC.”
The survey is a comprehensive look at the university, and allows USC to look at what needs improvement
“The survey touches on every aspect of USC, from faculty to services to the climate of the campus,” Pavelchak said. “We are going to take an honest look at what students are patting us on the back for and at the constructive criticism and give that information to administration.”
The first wave of email surveys as sent out March 24. The university will continue to remind students who have yet to submit responses, as well as provide incentives for the completion of the survey in the form of cash prizes, an Apple iPad and an opportunity to participate in USC football’s Guest Coaches Program.
Although students are often bombarded with surveys for classes or other USC programs, the incentives for this survey and the chance to affect the university’s future seem to be catching the eye of students.
“Over my four years here, USC has changed so much,” said Betsi Crow, a senior majoring in biology. “Not only the area around USC, but I have definitely noticed that more programs are being offered and there are more events and clubs than there were when I was a freshman. I feel like USC has put an emphasis on continuing to improve, so this survey will provide them with a lot of good information to continue to do so.”